Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities (CNRA)
Working Group on Public Communication of Nuclear Regulatory Organisations (WGPC)

International Workshop with Stakeholders

French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) Headquarters
Montrouge, France

9 April 2014

Organised in collaboration with ASN

Announcement

The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Working Group on Public Communication of Nuclear Regulatory Organisations (WGPC) held an international workshop with stakeholders in collaboration with the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN). The workshop was held on 9 April 2014, in Paris - Porte d'Orléans, France.

Objective

The workshop was an opportunity to bring together communication experts from nuclear regulatory organisations (NROs) and stakeholders. Its main purpose was to stimulate cooperation and improve NROs' communication by better understanding stakeholders' perceptions, needs and expectations (see details in the programme).

Workshop topics and format

The workshop lasted one day and was split into two half-day sessions. The morning session was dedicated to exchanges with journalists and experts in communication, while the afternoon session was devoted to discussions with elected officials, members of local information committees and NGOs. The sessions were moderated by a journalist.

For a regional approach, the stakeholders came from European countries only.

Participants

Access to the workshop was reserved for communication experts from nuclear regulatory authorities, invited stakeholders, and ASN and NEA staff. The maximum number of attendees allowed was 75.

Content

The panellists shared their experience based on specific national framework with NRO communicators from around the world.

Reputation and Trustworthiness

Needs, constraints and knowledge building

What do the media expect from NROs in terms of information? How can NROs provide them with that information?

What are the media’s constraints?

What are the constraints due to national cultural contexts?

What are the media's needs in terms of type, format, level of specification, rapidity and distribution methodology for information in routine and crisis situations? Do the media expect proactive or reactive communication?

How could NROs help the media to improve its knowledge of nuclear technical subjects? What education/information would be necessary for them to be better prepared to explain a future nuclear incident?

Relations

What are the relations of journalists with other stakeholders such as licensees, local information committees, other public authorities, NGOs, etc.?

How to build a positive relationship of work between journalists and NROS (the communication team and press officers in NROs)?

Transparency and emotion aspects

From information to transparency: What are the issues, limits and outlooks?

How can NROs deal with the emotional nature of the issues they communicate about?

Ms Margareta Widén-Berggren, mayor of Östhammar, chair of the Local Information Committee of Forsmark NPP, Sweden

Mr Ladislav Ehn, mayor of Kalná nad Hronom, member of the Local Information Committee of Mochovce NPP, Slovak Republic

Mr Yves Lheureux, representative of the French National Association of Local Information Committees, France

Mr Yannick Rousselet, representative of Greenpeace, France

Mr Michel Bourguignon, ASN commissioner, France

The panellists gave a 10 minute maximum intervention in the format of their choice illustrated by past experience. Priority was given to open discussion between the panel and the audience.

The following session of the workshop addressed the following issues:

Sources and relations

What are institutions' and organisations' main sources of information (traditional media, social media, NRO and technical and scientific support organisation [TSO] websites, other nuclear experts, licensees, political officials, NGOs, etc.)?

What are the relations between local information committees and NGOs with the other stakeholders, such as licensees, other public authorities, etc.?

Needs, constraints and knowledge building

What do local information committees and NGOs expect from NROs in terma of information? How can NROs provide them with suitable information?

What do institutions and organisations expect from NROs in terms of information? How can NROs provide them with that information?

What are local information committees' and NGOs' needs in terms of type, format, level of specification, rapidity and distribution methodology for information in routine and crisis situations? Do local information committees and NGOs expect proactive or reactive communication?

How could NROs help local information committees and NGOs improve their knowledge of nuclear technical subjects, and what education/information would be necessary for them to be better prepared to explain a future nuclear incident?

Contribution to public information

How do local information committees and NGOs deal with the information they receive from different sources (nuclear regulators, licensees and public authorities)? What are their policies and contributions to public information? What are their interactions with the public?

Belgian government movie: Do you know what to do in case of nuclear accident?

Public acceptance of officials' instructions: What is the point of view of local information committees and NGOs regarding people following instructions for protective actions in case of an emergency?

Public involvement and risk culture

How to enhance the participation of the public in nuclear topics (via public debates, consultations, working groups, etc.)?